At the event, scheduled for the end of March, the ADBA will present proposals for the research centre, which it claims would establish the UK as a world leader in biogas technology.

The purpose of such a centre would be to make biogas into a low-cost option for power generation and to assist with the coordination of biotechnology research.

According to the ADBA, investment in new areas of research within the sector could enable biogas to produce up to 60 per cent of the power currently generated by coal and in the process lower global greenhouse gas emissions by between 18 and 20 per cent.

Chief executive of the association Charlotte Morton noted that the UK is already an important player in the biogas sector.

“The UK has world-class expertise in anaerobic digestion and already exports over £100 million worth of expertise and equipment per year,” she stated.

Ms Morton added that export opportunities could total £5 billion if the proposed centre is established, as well as create thousands of jobs and help improve the UK’s energy security.

The UK’s renewable energy market has been continuously growing for a number of years, with the government announcing earlier this year that it would plough extra funding into energy innovation projects to help the country move closer to developing its low-carbon economy.